An automatic station for housing punnets in containers

Abstract: The invention relates to an automatic station for the housing of punnets in containers, comprising a transport device of the containers (2) for positioning them when empty in the station, and for removing them when filled, as well as a punnet (5) transport device (4), for transporting the punnets (5) inside the containers (2) and a movement device (6) of the punnets (5) inside the containers (2), such that the punnets (5) are housed in an ordered fashion in the containers (2).

Description: The invention relates to an automatic station for packing baskets in packing containers. An automatic station of this kind comprises according to US-A-1 954 842 means for transporting the articles on which groups of packages can be arranged for being located inside a container carton via an operation of the means for transporting. According to US-A-4 785 611 in an automatic station for housing articles in a container means for relocating the articles in fixed order in vertical direction inside the container are provided. In the packing chain for fruit and vegetable products, one of the last operations consists in filling the packing containers, which will then be despatched to sales outlets. Usually cartons or crates used as containers come in standardised sizes and have their edges, at least on the shorter sides, folded internalwise. Since there exists a relation between carton size and basket size, a predetermined number of food baskets is housed in each carton. Since the cartons have folded shorter sides, the baskets are housed in the carton by hand, first by pushing baskets into the edge and corner portions, then by progressively working towards the centre of the carton. This takes up valuable time and requires care on the part of the operative so that nothing is damaged and wasted not least because the baskets are very full with product and must be tightly housed in the carton. The present invention aims to obviate the abovementioned drawbacks, by solving the problem of automation in the housing operation of the baskets in the cartons. One of the advantages obtained with the present invention is that the packing operation times of the baskets are considerably reduced: the final results are also better in relation to manually packed baskets, since a tighter and more efficient final packing result is obtained. Further characteristics and advantages of the present invention will better emerge from the detailed description that follows, of an embodiment of the invention, illustrated in the form of a non-limiting example in the accompanying drawings, in which: figure 1 schematically shows the invention in a frontal perspective view; figure 2 shows the invention in lateral view; figure 3 shows the invention in plan view from above; figure 4 shows the invention in a frontal perspective view during its work. As can be seen in the figures, the invention relates to an automatic station 3 for housing food baskets in packing cartons, comprising a package transport device 1 which deposits the empty cartons 2 at a filling position and then removes them once filled. The automatic station 3 further comprises means for transporting 4 the baskets 5 to be packed inside the cartons 2, and means for relocating 6 the baskets 5 in ordered positions in the cartons 2. The carton 2 transport device 1 comprises a first pusher 7 (see figure 3) which nudges an empty carton 2 into a correct filling position, and a second pusher 8 (see figure 2) to remove the carton 2 when filled. The two pushers 7 and 8 are activated by means of a first sensor 9, shown in figure 1, which signals that a carton 2 has been filled and proceeds to its substitution with a new, empty one. The means for transporting 4 the baskets 5 to be packed comprise a principal body 16 and a mobile rigid appendage 10 which, passing from a first completely extended position to a second, completely retracted position, enables the baskets 5 to be positioned inside the cartons 2 either on the side of the cartons 2 which is further from the means for transporting 4, or on the side which is nearer to it. In the present embodiment, the principal body 16 and the appendage 10 of the means for transporting 4 are covered by a moving belt 17 connected up to a gear reducer 18. The appendage 10 is independently associated to corresponding means 19 for extending it. The means 19 comprise a mobile and alternating pneumatic cylinder 20 which is solid to a rigid structure 21 also supporting the appendage 10 and comprising at least two rollers 24 for the moving belt 17. A second sensor 22 controls the movement of the appendage on the basis of the number of baskets 5 that have passed on the appendage 10. After every two baskets 5 have passed, that is after 2, then 4, then 6 etc. have passed, the second sensor 22 stops the gear reducer 18 and a full cycle of the pneumatic cylinder 20 ensues, retracting the appendage 10: the first basket 5 is deposited by action of the moving belt 17, while the second punnet 5 drops into the carton 2 by force of gravity on retraction of the appendage 10. Alternatively, the whole transport device 4 could be mobile and alternating such as to deposit the baskets 5 into the carton 2 in the same way as described above. The means for relocating 6 the baskets 5 comprise a vertically mobile raised frame 11 provided with at least one transversally mobile fin 12, associated to a pneumatic cylinder 13. The embodiment shown has, in fact, two transversally mobile fins 12, 14: a first of these is associated to a first pneumatic cylinder 13, which moves it, while a second 14 is associated to a second pneumatic cylinder 15 which moves both the fin 14 and the whole assembly comprising the first fin 12 and the first pneumatic cylinder 13. This embodiment exhibits one considerable advantage, which will emerge from the following description of the whole automatic station 3 functioning. When a carton 2 is in the ready-for-filling position, the raised frame 11 is lowered, the appendage 10 extended and the motor started: the baskets 5 coming from a packing machine 23 upstream of the automatic station 3 are brought on the moving belt 17 to the inside of the carton 2 and to a zone furthest from the feeding zone. When the second basket 5 has passed the second sensor 22 and locates on the appendage 10, the motor stops, the pneumatic cylinder 20 performs a complete work cycle and the two baskets 5 fall in order, one behind the other: together they are nudged laterally by the two fins 12, 14 operated by the second pneumatic cylnder 15. Since ten baskets 5 are housed in each carton 2, the above operations are repeated four times, up until the carton 2 contains eight baskets 5. At this point, as shown in figure 4, the first pneumatic cylinder 13 is activated and only the first fin 12 is moved, which pushes the baskets 5, four on each side, and leaves a free space between the first fin 12 and the second fin 14, all of which considerably eases the housing of the last two baskets 5. Once these last two baskets 5 have been placed, the carton 2 is removed and a new one substitutes it.

Claims: An automatic station for housing baskets in container cartons, comprising a transport device (1) for the cartons (2) to position said carton (2) in a filling station, and to remove the cartons (2) once filled, means for transporting (4) the baskets (5) to be packed inside the cartons (2), the automatic station (3) being characterized in that it comprises means for relocating (6) the baskets (5) inside the cartons (2) in a predeterminate ordered fashion, while the means for transporting (4) the baskets (5) are not operating. An automatic station as in claim 1, characterised in that the transport device (1) of the cartons (2) comprises a first pusher (7) to nudge one empty carton (2) at a time into a filling position and a second pusher (8) to remove the carton (2) once it has been filled; the pushers (7, 8) being activated by a first sensor (9) signalling that the carton (2) has been completely filled. An automatic station as in claim 1, characterised in that the means for transporting (4) the baskets (5) inside the cartons (2) comprise a principal body (16) and a mobile rigid appendage (10) which passes from a first position wherein it is completely extended in order to bring a basket (5) into a position at a far side of a carton (2), to a second position wherein it retracts to deposit a basket (5) in a near side of the carton (2), with respect to the principal body (16) of means for transporting (4) the baskets (5). An automatic station as in claim 1, characterised in that the means for relocating (6) the baskets (5) inside the cartons (2) comprise a raised vertically mobile frame (11) provided with at least one transversally mobile fin (12) associated to a pneumatic cylinder (13); said pneumatic cylinder moving the mobile fin (12). An automatic station as in claim 1, characterised in that the means for transporting (4) the baskets (5) is mobile such as to pass from a first completely extended position in order to bring a basket (5) into a position at a far side of a carton (2), to a second position wherein it retracts to deposit a basket (5) in a near side of the carton (2), with respect to a principal body (16) of the means for transporting (4) the baskets (5). An automatic station as in claim 3, characterised in that the principal body (16) and the mobile appendage (10) of the means for transporting (4) are covered by a moving belt (17) associated to a gear reducer (18); said gear reducer (18) moving the principal body (16) and the mobile appendage (10); the appendage (10) being independently associated also to means (19) for extending it. An automatic station as in claim 3, characterised in that it comprises a second sensor (22) to signal a number of baskets (5) which have transited and to control the extensions and retractions of the appendage (10). An automatic station as in claim 4, characterised in that the frame (11) is provided with two transversally mobile fins (12, 14), one of said fins (12) being asociated to a first pneumatic cylinder (13) dedicated to moving the fin (12), a second of said fins (14) being associated to a second pneumatic cylinder (15) which moves the second fin (14) together with the first fin (12) and the first pneumatic cylinder (13). An automatic station as in claim 6, characterised in that the means (19) for extending the appendage (10) comprise a mobile pneumatic cylinder (20) equipped with alternating motion and bearing a rigid structure (21) comprising at least two rollers (24) for redirecting the moving belt (17).

Inventors: PIERI VINCENZO, PIERI, VINCENZO
Applicants: SORMA S P A, SORMA S.P.A.
Application year: 1994
Main classification: B65B5
IPC codes: B65B25, B65B5